Selective attention to facial emotion and identity in schizophrenia.

The selective attention to facial emotion and identity was investigated in 12 patients with schizophrenia and 12 healthy participants. Both patients and controls were required to perform two classification tasks (according either to identity or emotion). Two separate values for identity (person A/person B) and for emotion (fear/anger) were used. When the classification task was on one dimension, the other dimension was either correlated, constant, or orthogonal (Garner WR. The Processing of Information and Structure. Potomac, MD: Erlbaum, 1974, Garner WR. Interaction of stimulus dimensions in concept and choice processes. Cognitive Psychology 1976;8:98-123). Results indicated that both patients and healthy participants had an asymmetrical pattern of performance: they were able to selectively attend to the identity of the face presented, regardless of the emotion expressed on the face, but variation in identity interfered with the classification of facial emotion. Moreover, a correlational study indicated that the identity interference on emotion classification for schizophrenic patients covaried with the severity of their negative symptoms. The selective attention competencies in schizophrenia and the independence hypothesis of emotion and face recognition are discussed in the framework of current face recognition models.     

Information seeking and interactive videodisc preparation for third molar extraction.

Patient response to interactive videodisc preparation for third molar extraction surgery was examined as a function of self-reported information-seeking style. Amount learned was compared among patients informed via an interactive videodisc, noninteractive videotape of the same material, or surgeon only. Anxiety levels and satisfaction with preparation were compared between the videodisc and videotape groups. At consultation, patients (n = 35) were randomly assigned to either the disc- or the tape-viewing group. First, subjects completed a demographic survey, state anxiety scale, quiz on knowledge about third molars and surgery risks and complications, and information-seeking scales. Immediately after viewing the video, subjects completed another anxiety scale and a multiple-choice quiz covering the material presented. Subsequently, another 25 patients undergoing the routine (surgeon-only) consultation procedure were given the same multiple-choice quiz following consultation. Quiz scores differed significantly among the groups; mean percent correct for the tape-viewing subjects was 85; for disc-viewing subjects 72.6; for surgeon-only subjects, 40. Self-rated information seeking was unrelated to amount of video viewed by disc subjects (on average, 64% of the videodisc was viewed), and disc subjects who rated themselves higher in information-seeking achieved the lowest postpreparation quiz scores. Subjects in the disc group were significantly more satisfied with the amount of preparation than the tape group. Although disc group subjects were significantly less knowledgeable following consultation than were tape group subjects, interactive videodisc preparation for third molar extraction appears to have some advantages over more traditional approaches. Further research is needed to determine whether this approach to preparing patients is suitable for widespread clinical use.     

Shared executive dysfunctions in unaffected relatives of patients with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Executive dysfunctions have been studied as a potential endophenotype associated with the genetic basis of autism. Given that recent findings from clinical and molecular genetic studies suggest that autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) could share a common pattern of heritability, we assessed executive functions as a possible common cognitive endophenotype in unaffected family members of individuals with either autism or OCD. METHODS: Five tests assessing executive functions (Tower of London, verbal fluency, design fluency, trail making and association fluency) were proposed to 58 unaffected first-degree relatives (parents and siblings) of probands with autism and 64 unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients. Results were compared with those of 47 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and level of education. RESULTS: In the Tower of London test, both groups of unaffected relatives showed significantly lower scores and longer response times compared with controls. No differences were observed between autism and OCD relatives and healthy controls in the four other tasks (verbal fluency, design fluency, trail making test and association fluency). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the existence of executive dysfunction in the unaffected first-degree relatives of probands with OCD, similar to those observed in the relatives of patients with autism. These results support and extend previous cognitive studies on probands indicating executive dysfunctions in autism and OCD. Planning and working memory processes could thus represent a common cognitive endophenotype in autism and OCD that could help in the identification of genes conferring vulnerability to these disorders.     

Effects of Differential Housing on the Primary and Secondary Antibody Responses of Male C57BL/6 and BALB/c Mice

The influence of the number of animals housed together in a cage on antibody production in response to keyhole limpet hemanocyanin (KLH) was evaluated among male C57B1/6 and BALB/c mice. In Experiment 1, male C57B1/6 mice were housed 1, 6, or 12 animals per cage and primary and secondary responses were evaluated. The secondary, but not the primary, antibody responses of male C57B1/6 mice were higher among mice housed alone compared to mice housed in groups; differences were observed for both IgM and IgG anti-KLH antibodies. The differential housing effects on secondary IgM antibody responses interacted with the priming dose of KLH. In Experiment 2, the primary and secondary responses to KLH of male C57B1/6 and BALB/c mice were compared among mice housed alone or 4 per cage. Among both strains, the secondary, not the primary, response was influenced by the number of mice housed in a cage; both secondary IgM and IgG titers were higher among the C57B1/6 mice housed alone but only secondary IgM titers were higher among the BALB/c mice housed alone. These experiments confirm previous observations that the primary antibody responses of C57B1/6 mice are not influenced by the number of animals housed in a cage and extend these findings by demonstrating that the secondary antibody responses of C57B1/6 and BALB/c are influenced by housing condition.     

Conditioning as an adjunct in the pharmacotherapy of lupus erythematosus.

Several studies have provided evidence suggesting that "placebo effects" represent conditioning phenomena and that learning processes influence the response to placebo medication. This case report describes an adolescent with severe lupus erythematosus who received cyclophosphamide (CY) paired with taste (cod liver oil) and smell (rose perfume) as conditioned stimuli. The regimen was based on conditioning experiments with animals who had lupuslike autoimmune disease. After the initial pairings, the taste alone was offered between CY treatments. Over 12 months, the patient received six rather than 12 CY treatments, half the cumulative dose that might have been administered. The patient improved clinically, and 5 years later continues to do well.     

Antipsychotics increase vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) expression in thalamolimbic pathways

Recently the two vesicular-glutamate-transporters VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 have been cloned and characterized. VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 together label all glutamatergic neurons, but because of their distinct expression patterns in the brain they facilitate our ability to define between a VGLUT1-positive cortical and a VGLUT2-positive subcortical glutamatergic systems. We have previously demonstrated an increased cortical VGLUT1 expression as marker of antidepressant activity. Here, we assessed the effects of different psychotropic drugs on brain VGLUT2 mRNA and protein expression. The typical antipsychotic haloperidol, and the atypicals clozapine and risperidone increased VGLUT2 mRNA selectively in the central medial/medial parafascicular, paraventricular and intermediodorsal thalamic nuclei; VGLUT2 protein was accordingly amplified in paraventricular and ventral striatum and in prefrontal cortex. The antidepressants fluoxetine and desipramine and the sedative anxiolytic diazepam had no effect. These results highlight the implication of thalamo-limbic glutamatergic pathways in the action of antipsychotics. Increased VGLUT2 expression in these neurons might constitute a marker for antipsychotic activity and subcortical glutamate neurotransmission might be a possible novel target for future generation antipsychotics.     

Transplanted human cones incorporate into the retina and function in a murine cone degeneration model

Once human photoreceptors die, they do not regenerate, thus, photoreceptor transplantation has emerged as a potential treatment approach for blinding diseases. Improvements in transplant organization, donor cell maturation, and synaptic connectivity to the host will be critical in advancing this technology for use in clinical practice. Unlike the unstructured grafts of prior cell-suspension transplantations into end-stage degeneration models, we describe the extensive incorporation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) retinal organoid–derived human photoreceptors into mice with cone dysfunction. This incorporative phenotype was validated in both cone-only as well as pan-photoreceptor transplantations. Rather than forming a glial barrier, Müller cells extended throughout the graft, even forming a series of adherens junctions between mouse and human cells, reminiscent of an outer limiting membrane. Donor-host interaction appeared to promote polarization as well as the development of morphological features critical for light detection, namely the formation of inner and well-stacked outer segments oriented toward the retinal pigment epithelium. Putative synapse formation and graft function were evident at both structural and electrophysiological levels. Overall, these results show that human photoreceptors interacted readily with a partially degenerated retina. Moreover, incorporation into the host retina appeared to be beneficial to graft maturation, polarization, and function.     

Prevalence and outcome of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A bacterial cause is found in about half of all severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations. The aim of this review is to discuss recent findings regarding prevalence, risk factors and outcome of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. RECENT FINDINGS: According to the results of recent studies, multidrug-resistant bacteria represented a large proportion of bacteria isolated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations. Prior antibiotic treatment, prior endotracheal intubation, long-term inhaled or systemic corticosteroid use and severe impairment of lung function were identified as risk factors for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations related to multidrug-resistant bacteria. Although the mortality rate was higher in patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria as compared with patients with other bacteria, multidrug resistance was not independently associated with mortality in these patients. Multidrug-resistant bacteria were, however, significantly associated with inappropriate initial antibiotic treatment. Higher rates of subsequent ventilator-associated pneumonia and mortality were found in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation who received inappropriate initial antibiotic treatment when compared with those who received appropriate treatment. SUMMARY: Further studies should determine whether administration of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment could improve the outcome of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.     

Dissociating anticipation from perception: Acute pain activates default mode network

Few studies have explored the effect of acute pain on attentional networks and on the default mode network. Moreover, these studies convey conflicting results, seemingly caused by design. To reassess this issue, we studied 20 healthy subjects with functional magnetic resonance imaging while delivering painful electric shocks. The design was purposely constructed to separate rest, anticipation, and pain perception. We found that default mode network activity in response to pain was biphasic. It deactivated during anticipation when the dorsal attentional network was activated. During pain perception, the default mode network was activated, as were attentional networks. The left posterior fusiform gyrus showed the same dynamics as the default mode network, and its activity was negatively correlated to the subject's pain intensity rating. The associative pregenual anterior cingulate cortex seemed to play a key role in these coactivations. These results concur with data from the literature showing that enhanced pain perception results in greater default mode network activity and that the anticorrelation between the default mode network and the dorsal attentional network disappears in chronic pain patients. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2228–2243, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.